Feminist Developments in Violence and Abuse – serie

Myths and misconceptions surrounding sexual violence are thought to be implicated in the prevalence of rape and in the lack of justice for women who have been subjected to rape. Rape Myths comprehensively examines the theoretical background, prevalence, assessment, and functions of these beliefs. Outlining the meaning and feminist foundations of rape myths, this book also considers their conceptualisation as the measurable construct of Rape Myth Acceptance (RMA). Drawing on the authors’ research, the book details the prevalence of RMA among different public and professional groups, as well as the societal consequences of these pervasive beliefs, particularly in terms of treatment within the criminal justice system. RMA is considered in the crucial context of its scaffolding within wider sexism in society and its perpetuation in the media. Looking ahead, Persson and Dhingra question how well rape myth prevention works. Can society reduce the prevalence of these beliefs? If so, how? Including a detailed overview of the psychometric properties of tools used to measure RMA, and a methodological manual for designing and executing research in this area, Rape Myths is a practical guide for those seeking to research rape myths and other attributions in rape cases.

Myths and misconceptions surrounding sexual violence are thought to be implicated in the prevalence of rape and in the lack of justice for women who have been subjected to rape. Rape Myths comprehensively examines the theoretical background, prevalence, assessment, and functions of these beliefs. Outlining the meaning and feminist foundations of rape myths, this book also considers their conceptualisation as the measurable construct of Rape Myth Acceptance (RMA). Drawing on the authors’ research, the book details the prevalence of RMA among different public and professional groups, as well as the societal consequences of these pervasive beliefs, particularly in terms of treatment within the criminal justice system. RMA is considered in the crucial context of its scaffolding within wider sexism in society and its perpetuation in the media. Looking ahead, Persson and Dhingra question how well rape myth prevention works. Can society reduce the prevalence of these beliefs? If so, how? Including a detailed overview of the psychometric properties of tools used to measure RMA, and a methodological manual for designing and executing research in this area, Rape Myths is a practical guide for those seeking to research rape myths and other attributions in rape cases.

As the average life expectancy continues to rise, the long-held assumption that age is a protective factor against criminal offending and victimisation is being challenged. Recognising that people who commit offences later in life are an overlooked group in criminology, Not Your Usual Suspect is the first collection to assemble research on different forms of violence and abuse perpetrated by individuals predominantly over 60. Examining intersections of gender, crime and age, this collection highlights how the increase in older people entering the criminal justice system has emphasised the unpreparedness of policies and practices for dealing with this cohort. Moving beyond existing research and policy which has focused primarily on those who are sentenced in later life for crimes they committed as younger adults – so called historic crimes – the chapters pay crucial attention to those who commit offences as long-term, repeat or first-time offenders in later life. Offering an important contribution for researchers across the criminological, gerontological, feminist and elder abuse fields, Not Your Usual Suspect expands existing research to consider the behaviour and drivers of older offenders, addressing the increasingly important issue of how the needs of this group can be addressed by policy and practice.

Victims' Experiences of The Criminal Justice Response to Domestic Abuse: Beyond GlassWalls provides a unique perspective on how victims of domestic abuse experience the justice process. It tells two stories: first, a socio-legal narrative of the public policy, legislative, academic and social responses across Scotland, England and Wales; and second, the experience of female victim-survivors who report domestic abuse to the police. The apparent sweep of progress on the public stage is juxtaposed with the private struggle of individuals who continue to face barriers to justice.In-depth interviews with women who have experienced domestic abuse and those who support them identify a number of challenges. Moving beyond the arrest, procedural hearings and trial Forbes considers the emotional implications of waiting at home, travelling to court, and the unmet support needs and unanswered questions beyond the so-called conclusions of their case. Beautifully illustrated, this accessible overview uses victim narrative to provide explicit, practical advice for busy practitioners and students alike.

Despite being recognised by victim-survivors as a tactic used by abusers, economic abuse has received little attention in research, policy, or practice. Written by an internationally recognised expert on economic abuse, this powerful book provides a crucial validation of the lived experience of victim-survivors, and highlights the urgent need to develop effective responses to the issue.Breaking fresh ground, Understanding and Responding to Economic Abuse exposes the many ways in which abusers seek to control their intimate partners through economic resources and reinforces the importance of holding abusers accountable for their behaviour. Whilst the focus of this book is on Westminster policy in the UK, the author highlights how the case for ‘naming’ and defining economic abuse in statute has wider resonance. Making a trailblazing case for recognising this form of abuse, Sharp-Jeffs argues the case to expand the coordinated community response model to domestic abuse to address economic control through involving ‘non-traditional’ stakeholders such as money/debt advice organisations and the financial services sector, alongside specialist domestic abuse services and statutory agencies. Coming in the wake of the Domestic Abuse Act (2021), which broadened discourse from financial to economic abuse, Sharp-Jeffs turns our attention to this critical momentum for change and makes an important step towards shining a light on a form of coercive and controlling behaviour which has been invisible for too long.

‘Rough sex’ has been at the forefront of criminal law in recent years following several high-profile murders of women killed during alleged consensual sex ‘gone wrong’, leading to widespread calls for reform to prevent the use of what has been termed the ‘rough sex defence.’ Situated in a global context in which violence against women is one of the leading preventable contributors to death and illness for women aged 18–44 worldwide, this timely collection examines the rough sex defence and responds to some of the wider debates around sex and the law.Drawing on a range of empirical and theoretical standpoints, chapters delve into a range of topics including the female experience of ‘unwanted’ slapping, choking and spitting during sex, the BDSM community, the impacts of pornography, the normalization and sexualization of violence against women, early depictions of BDSM involving the eroticization of non-consensual relations, problematic perceptions of BDSM as inherently violent, and more.Bows and Herring expertly collate a wide-reaching mix of perspectives to contribute to a powerful feminist investigation of this critical issue. It is a compelling read for scholars interested in the intersection of sex, the law, and the criminal justice system.

‘Rough sex’ has been at the forefront of criminal law in recent years following several high-profile murders of women killed during alleged consensual sex ‘gone wrong’, leading to widespread calls for reform to prevent the use of what has been termed the ‘rough sex defence.’ Situated in a global context in which violence against women is one of the leading preventable contributors to death and illness for women aged 18–44 worldwide, this timely collection examines the rough sex defence and responds to some of the wider debates around sex and the law.Drawing on a range of empirical and theoretical standpoints, chapters delve into a range of topics including the female experience of ‘unwanted’ slapping, choking and spitting during sex, the BDSM community, the impacts of pornography, the normalization and sexualization of violence against women, early depictions of BDSM involving the eroticization of non-consensual relations, problematic perceptions of BDSM as inherently violent, and more.Bows and Herring expertly collate a wide-reaching mix of perspectives to contribute to a powerful feminist investigation of this critical issue. It is a compelling read for scholars interested in the intersection of sex, the law, and the criminal justice system.

Women who encounter the criminal justice system are far more likely to have experienced domestic or sexual abuse than the wider female population. Despite widespread recognition of the link between a woman’s victimisation and her involvement in crime, the relationship between the two is still not well understood. Gendered Justice? illustrates how a woman’s involvement in crime can manifest as a by-product of her attempts to cope with, survive, or escape domestic abuse. Referencing the first UK-based research of its kind, Roberts explores how a woman’s involvement in crime can be explained or contextualised by her experience of domestic abuse. Drawing on the experiences of women serving community-based sentences, all of whom had been subjected to domestic abuse, the author analyses a variety of situations which illustrate how women can become involved in crime when their abuse perpetrator is not present, after the abusive relationship has ended or even years after the abuse has ceased, yet their actions can still be attributed to their victimisation. She also demonstrates how perpetrators of abuse use women’s involvement in the criminal justice system as a further weapon of abuse. Built upon the foundations of women’s real-life experiences, which have real-world implications, Gendered Justice? introduces a range of recommendations and implications for both policy and practice in the field of criminal justice.

Women who encounter the criminal justice system are far more likely to have experienced domestic or sexual abuse than the wider female population. Despite widespread recognition of the link between a woman’s victimisation and her involvement in crime, the relationship between the two is still not well understood. Gendered Justice? illustrates how a woman’s involvement in crime can manifest as a by-product of her attempts to cope with, survive, or escape domestic abuse. Referencing the first UK-based research of its kind, Roberts explores how a woman’s involvement in crime can be explained or contextualised by her experience of domestic abuse. Drawing on the experiences of women serving community-based sentences, all of whom had been subjected to domestic abuse, the author analyses a variety of situations which illustrate how women can become involved in crime when their abuse perpetrator is not present, after the abusive relationship has ended or even years after the abuse has ceased, yet their actions can still be attributed to their victimisation. She also demonstrates how perpetrators of abuse use women’s involvement in the criminal justice system as a further weapon of abuse. Built upon the foundations of women’s real-life experiences, which have real-world implications, Gendered Justice? introduces a range of recommendations and implications for both policy and practice in the field of criminal justice.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online.As we move into a world where the borders between professional activity in the physical world and the online space are becoming increasingly blurred, up to now there has been little attention paid to the risk that this occupational necessity frequently presents. This book fills that gap; exploring the online abuse of women at work, author Susan Watson uses verbatim accounts to demonstrate that online abuse is the consequence of being a woman on the internet.Timely, necessary, and the first of its kind, Gendered Online Abuse Against Women in Public Life focuses on digital abuse encountered across the public sphere and brings together both theoretical ideas and policy recommendations. Presenting evidence drawn from 50 rich and visceral semi-structured interviews and a large corpus of Twitter data, the chapters identify how abuse differs by occupation, and devises a seven-element framework that occurs in every episode of online abuse - tested through the qualitative analysis of 10 million tweets sent to 250 women across the UK: data that is no longer available following the platform’s change of ownership. The design of recommendations at an individual, organisational and structural level provides workable solutions to a vicious problem, revealing how online abuse directed at women is misogynistic, frequently includes violent threats, and dismisses women’s contributions to online discussions.Addressing how the expectation that women in public life maintain a digital presence precipitates online abuse, Watson offers a series of recommendations for ways that online abuse can be managed, countered, and ultimately ameliorated. Highly interdisciplinary, combining scholarly investigation and public policy insight, this is essential reading for students, academics and policymakers alike.